The Possible Strike At The Port Of Baltimore, Changes At The Top Of The Baltimore Police Department, and The Decline Of MD Home Values Continues, But Slower

The Port of Baltimore could shut down next week, if the International Longshoremen's Association cannot reach a contract deal with the US Maritime Alliance. The two parties are at odds over the shipping companies' plan to cut royalties paid to dock workers. If an agreement isn't reached by Saturday night, the union has threatened to strike; the Maritime Alliance has threatened to lock dockworkers out of their ports. The Port of Baltimore's marine terminals will stay open tomorrow, an agreement not be reached before then -- they're usually closed on Saturdays. Officials say that cruises will still depart from the port even if a strike or lockout occurs. While the deadline for negotiations is Saturday night, the following three days are union holidays... so the full effect of a strike or lockout wouldn't be felt until Wednesday of next week (via our wire service; more here and here from the Baltimore Business Journal).

Baltimore Police have made some major changes to the senior command staff. Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has announced leadership changes at four patrol districts and the homicide division. The violent crimes impact unit has been rebranded as special enforcement division, and another new unit has been formed to focus on gangs (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

Home values are continuing to drop across Maryland, as the new state assessments show a decline in value of nearly seven-percent. But there's some good news here: it's a slower drop than in past years (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

On today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics, WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith talks to WYPR's Joel McCord about the politics behind the recent court decision involving Alan Hudson, a chicken farmer for Perdue.

Gamblers are now able to place their bets around-the-clock now that the Maryland Live! casino has implemented 24/7operations. The casino's General Manager says the extended hours will generate 150 new jobs -- and a ten-percent hike in revenue, two-thirds of which goes to the state (via our wire service).

In related news, the casino under development at Rocky Gap Lodge in Western Maryland now has its own General Manager. Evitts Resort LLC has tapped Scott Just, the vice president for gaming at Lakes Entertainment, to run the Allegeny County casino. It's set to open in June of 2013 (via the Baltimore Business Journal).

Maryland has confirmed its first hypothermia-related death of the winter. State health officials say an elderly man in Frederick County died between December 18th and 24th. Last winter, there were 15 reported hypothermia-related deaths in our state -- but that was one of the mildest winders on record; the previous season, hypothermia claimed the lives of 43 Marylanders (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

If one state lawmaker has his way, Maryland will soon have an official state sandwich. Eastern Shore state Senator Richard Colburn is introducing a bill in the General Assembly to establish soft shell crab sandwich as the state sandwich; Senator Colburn says the crabcake sandwich may be a more obvious choice, but argues that the soft shell crab is a tradition more specific to Maryland and notes that crabcakes can contain meat imported from Thailand (via our wire service and the Washington Post).

And in sports: the Ravens play their final game of the regular season on Sunday; it's an away game against the Cincinnati Bengals.